Beluga whales trapped in frozen Husky Lakes again

The acting mayor of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., is frustrated wildlife managers have allowed a group of beluga whales to get trapped in nearby lakes for the second winter in a row. Merven Gruben told CBC News that at least 40 beluga whales are currently swimming in small sections of open water on the frozen Husky Lakes, a chain of lakes between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. The federal Fisheries and Oceans Department and Tuktoyaktuk's hunters and trappers committee have been keeping an eye on the animals since they were first spotted in the lakes in August. But now, Gruben said, there's no way the whales can escape. That means they will probably drown or starve, he said. "It's too late. The channels going into that part of the back of the Husky Lakes are all frozen over. They only got little spots of open water there," Gruben said Tuesday.